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Re: PSAC WEST
My 'unbiased' take on tonight's 'biggest game in the history of Slippery Rock':
For IUP to win:
* Most importantly ... dictate the pace. Joe's had a bad habit over the years of going up there and trying to beat them at their own game. That's why he's 6-6 in Morrow. He's not built to play the Wrestlemania style, ground-and-pound. The faster he can push it the better. Slippery Rock tried to run with him in Round 1 and ran out of gas early in the second half. Micah Till isn't nearly as effective in a fast-paced game as the minutes wear on.
* Get a solid first 5 minutes. Get the crowd calmed down.
* Avoid the circus. After the first meeting -- and its ugliness -- I'm not sure what to expect from Slippery Rock. Ignore the non-handshakes, and the tough-guy routine. After Reynolds sent his ballboy out last game for player intros ... I wouldn't even go over there.
* Press early and often. SRU struggled mightily against IUP's press -- not only breaking it but then setting up its offense on a shorter shot clock. It also took a physical toll on SRU's big post players.
* Micah Till is going to get his points. Prevent anybody else from having a big night.
* SRU is big but very foul prone on defense. Force the issue inside.
* The Cobo factor. There aren't many 6'9" forwards in D2 with his guard-like skill set. In this type of game, he's not built to bang under the basket. That said, their bigs aren't built to cover him on the perimeter. SRU had a terrible time in the first game when he'd draw out a post player, fake a shot and then drive on him.
* Keep the hammer down. Several times this year IUP has got a nice lead and went full-blown slow-down. It's backfired each time -- including the last SRU game.
* Keep Dante calm. He doesn't need to be Allen Iverson. He's at his best when he's in control. He's also going to be the target tonight among the crowd. Ignore it.
* Anthony Glover smashed SRU for 32 in the first meeting. He's going to draw a lot of attention tonight. The more others can hit shots the faster it will start to free him up.
* SRU Round 1 was really Willem's breakout game at IUP. I don't think Reynolds was expecting it. They'll have to plan for him tonight which should open the perimeter up a bit more.
* SRU is 'sort of' deep but there's a drastic drop in talent from the first 6 guys to the next 3 or 4. The quicker IUP gets in to that bench the better.
* Reynolds is a huge film guy. They aren't going to pay any attention to Blake tonight based on how he's been playing. I've been saying there'd come a night for Blake .... this is it. He's going to get open shots tonight whenever he's in the game ... gotta knock them down.
* SRU is a great team when things are going its way. They mentally imploded at the KCAC when adversity struck. This is a big stage. The lights are bright. IUP has been here before many times. SRU hasn't for a long time. Put that experience to good use. Let them be their own worst enemy.
Long list, I know.
My 'unbiased' take on tonight's 'biggest game in the history of Slippery Rock':
For IUP to win:
* Most importantly ... dictate the pace. Joe's had a bad habit over the years of going up there and trying to beat them at their own game. That's why he's 6-6 in Morrow. He's not built to play the Wrestlemania style, ground-and-pound. The faster he can push it the better. Slippery Rock tried to run with him in Round 1 and ran out of gas early in the second half. Micah Till isn't nearly as effective in a fast-paced game as the minutes wear on.
* Get a solid first 5 minutes. Get the crowd calmed down.
* Avoid the circus. After the first meeting -- and its ugliness -- I'm not sure what to expect from Slippery Rock. Ignore the non-handshakes, and the tough-guy routine. After Reynolds sent his ballboy out last game for player intros ... I wouldn't even go over there.
* Press early and often. SRU struggled mightily against IUP's press -- not only breaking it but then setting up its offense on a shorter shot clock. It also took a physical toll on SRU's big post players.
* Micah Till is going to get his points. Prevent anybody else from having a big night.
* SRU is big but very foul prone on defense. Force the issue inside.
* The Cobo factor. There aren't many 6'9" forwards in D2 with his guard-like skill set. In this type of game, he's not built to bang under the basket. That said, their bigs aren't built to cover him on the perimeter. SRU had a terrible time in the first game when he'd draw out a post player, fake a shot and then drive on him.
* Keep the hammer down. Several times this year IUP has got a nice lead and went full-blown slow-down. It's backfired each time -- including the last SRU game.
* Keep Dante calm. He doesn't need to be Allen Iverson. He's at his best when he's in control. He's also going to be the target tonight among the crowd. Ignore it.
* Anthony Glover smashed SRU for 32 in the first meeting. He's going to draw a lot of attention tonight. The more others can hit shots the faster it will start to free him up.
* SRU Round 1 was really Willem's breakout game at IUP. I don't think Reynolds was expecting it. They'll have to plan for him tonight which should open the perimeter up a bit more.
* SRU is 'sort of' deep but there's a drastic drop in talent from the first 6 guys to the next 3 or 4. The quicker IUP gets in to that bench the better.
* Reynolds is a huge film guy. They aren't going to pay any attention to Blake tonight based on how he's been playing. I've been saying there'd come a night for Blake .... this is it. He's going to get open shots tonight whenever he's in the game ... gotta knock them down.
* SRU is a great team when things are going its way. They mentally imploded at the KCAC when adversity struck. This is a big stage. The lights are bright. IUP has been here before many times. SRU hasn't for a long time. Put that experience to good use. Let them be their own worst enemy.
Long list, I know.
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